1. CHILDREN, YOUTH AND WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICE SCHOOL CONNECTIONS EDCONX INITIATIVE The Second Story Youth Health Service

2. CHILDREN, YOUTH AND WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICE School Connections EdConX Initiative School Retention Initiative Funded by the Social Inclusion Unit Initiative 4 –“Advocacy and Support for Learners”

3. CHILDREN, YOUTH AND WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICE The aim of the EdConX Initiative is to  Address school and non-school related psychosocial and behaviour risk factors for students who are disengaging from learning by providing a primary health care service with a focus on early intervention  Contribute to reducing suspension and exclusion rates in participating schools by working collaboratively to develop alternative strategies that foster school connection and retention. The Program

4. CHILDREN, YOUTH AND WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICE The Schools Four schools involved  Smithfield Plains High School  Paralowie R-12  Willunga High School  Morphett Vale High School

5. CHILDREN, YOUTH AND WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICE The EdConX Team

6. CHILDREN, YOUTH AND WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICE The target group Students in Years 8 & 9 (potential age range 12-15years) At risk of disengagement at school or peripherally attached  4 referral categories

7. CHILDREN, YOUTH AND WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICE Referral Categories Young people/students who  are not an attendance issue but are non participative in the classroom, withdrawn, socially isolated  have an emerging pattern of unexplained absences i.e. 1 day absent each week over 5 weeks and/or a pattern of missing lessons  have an emerging pattern of absences and have had a previous service intervention  have an emerging pattern of absences with parental explanation which is of concern to school staff.

8. CHILDREN, YOUTH AND WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICE Referrals

9. CHILDREN, YOUTH AND WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICE Intervention Voluntary Involves working with the young person and their family Ecological and family systems approach Strength and capacity building

10. CHILDREN, YOUTH AND WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICE How? Counselling  Individual and family Mediation and Advocacy Establishing links between  parents & school  young people and parents  to services in the community

11. CHILDREN, YOUTH AND WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICE Methods Parent Advisor Model (Davis, Day and Bidmead 2002) Family Systems Theory Empowerment Theory Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Solution- Focused Therapy Crisis Intervention

12. CHILDREN, YOUTH AND WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICE The young people North 9 young people 1 – year 7 6 – year 8 2 – year 9 3 males 6 females 9 family members  “Making the Connections” group – 11 young women South 9 young people 2 – year 8 7 – year 9 6 males (1 Aboriginal) 3 females 16 family members

13. CHILDREN, YOUTH AND WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICE The issues North  Self-harming  “Anger management”  Bullying/ Harassment  Learning difficulties  Teacher / student conflict  Violence towards family members South  Parental separation  Bullying / Harassment  Managing emotions and feelings  Anxiety  Learning difficulties

14. CHILDREN, YOUTH AND WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICE Issues for Families  Family breakdown  Grief and Loss  Parenting skills  Domestic Violence  Experience of child abuse/sexual abuse  Lack of communication / understanding of school processes  Mental health issues – 6 parents/caregivers with a diagnosis

15. CHILDREN, YOUTH AND WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICE Challenges Criteria Early intervention focus Developing the criteria - Inclusive Families First contact – Schools Attendance at Meetings Engaging and building rapport Complexity of issues

16. CHILDREN, YOUTH AND WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICE Strengths Service Delivery  Flexible and Mobile  After hours appointments  Contact occurs where client is comfortable  Intensive support  Young people and families identify the areas for intervention and strategies to address issues Relationship  DECS  Schools and School Counsellors  Student Inclusion and Wellbeing Personnel  Program support  Information  Shared learning  Feedback

17. CHILDREN, YOUTH AND WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICE Challenges  Criteria  Early intervention focus  Developing the criteria – Inclusive  Families  First contact – Schools  Attendance at Meetings  Engaging and building rapport  Complexity of issues  Number of participants  Length of intervention

18. CHILDREN, YOUTH AND WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICE EDSAS DATA  Attendance & Punctuality Data from March – June 2005 12 young people  8 young people had improved in both from 10 – 32 %  Aboriginal young person increased attendance by 13% and punctuality by 27%

19. CHILDREN, YOUTH AND WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICE EDSAS DATA  Southern Region Data from March – June 2005 9 young people  Average attendance  Term 1 = 73.6%  Term 2 = 85.4 %  Average Punctuality  Term 1 = 88.4%  Term 2 = 91.4%